The present invention relates to a signal processing device and a signal processing method and is suitably applied to such as a news program production broadcasting system.
Heretofore, as one of the news program production broadcasting systems, there has been a system comprised of as shown in FIG. 1.
Thus constructed news program production broadcasting system 1 comprises the first and the second AV (audio video) servers 2 and 3 which record/reproduce AV (audio and/or video) data on an array of hard disk drives (HDD), the plural number of editing devices 4A-4N, a system control unit 5 to control the overall system 1, and a data memory device 6 in which various kinds of data are stored are connected respectively via the network. And non-compressed or low-compressed audio video data D1A-D1N transmitted from the field of collecting materials for an article via a transmission circuit or reproduced from the material tape are supplied to the first AV server 2 via multiple channels.
At this point, the first AV server 2 simultaneously inputs audio video data D1 of one of multiple systems specified out of audio video data D1A-D1N to be supplied under the control of the system control unit 5, and stores these on the specified address position of the recording reproducing unit upon setting these into file respectively.
The audio video data D1 of each file stored in the first AV server 2 can be read out for multiple files simultaneously from the first AV server 2 using each editing device 4A-4N respectively, and images based on said readout audio video data D1 can be displayed on the monitor of the editing device 4A-4N respectively. Furthermore, the operator can form a list to define the editing execution order how to edit the audio video data D1 and produce a news video for broadcasting (hereinafter, this list is referred to as EDL, edit decision list) by visually confirming the image monitor displayed on the editing device 4A-4N, and can register this EDL to the editing device 4A-4N and can make this executed.
In practice, when conducting the EDL, the editing device 4A-4N read out the necessary audio video data D1 by controlling the first AV server 2 and as well,as editing this based on the EDL, transmit audio video data D2A-D2N obtained by this editing processing to the second AV server 3.
At this point, the second AV server 3 successively captures edited audio video data D2A-D2N to be supplied under the control of the system control unit 5, and setting these into file and stores on the specified address position of the recording reproducing unit.
Then, the audio video data D2A-D2N stored in the second AV server 3 are reproduced and expanded at the required time based on the management information in the data memory device 6 and transmitted to an external on-air device (not shown in FIG.) and will be put on the air via said on-air device under the control of the system control unit 5.
Thus, in the news program production broadcasting system 1, audio video data D1A-D1N obtained by collecting materials can be edited to fit the desired condition and can be broadcasted at the predetermined time.
However, according to the news program production broadcasting system 1 described above, if the contents of audio video data D1A-D1N obtained by collecting materials and registered in the first AV server 2 can be confirmed by a good many people and the EDL can be formed by many more personnel, it is considered that the efficiency of news program production work and the quality of news video obtained by editing can be further improved.
However, according to thus constructed news program production broadcasting system 1, since the number of editing devices 4A-4N that can be connected to the first AV server 2 is determined by the data transmission capacity of the first AV server 2, and it was difficult to increase the number of editing devices 4A-4N systematically.
Furthermore, in the case where such system is realized, it is considered that editing work can be conducted more efficiently if automatic editing based on the EDL would be conducted in the editing executor. However, according to the editing executor conceivable at present, EDL must be allocated to the editing executor considering the order of editing processing and this requires involvement by the operator and causes a problem in further improving the efficiency of editing work. Moreover, in the case where the EDL includes the editing processing such as audio split editing, voice over editing, or image effect editing (i.e., special effects editing such as mosaic, page turn and wipe), the operator must conduct the complicated work such as controlling the audio video data input to the editing executor, it causes a problem in further improving the efficiency of the editing work.
Furthermore, as the conventional news program production broadcasting system, there is a device constructed as shown in FIG. 2. As compared this with the conventional news program production broadcasting system shown in FIG. 1, reference/reading device 7A-7N are connected to the output side of the second AV server 3 so that audio video data D2A-D2N stored in the second AV server 3 and the image based on this can be displayed on the monitor. Accordingly, the operator, by reading out the audio video data D2A-D2N before they are transmitted to the on-air equipment from the second AV server 3 using the reference reading device 7A-7N and displaying the image based on this, can confirm visually the edited result of news video before it is actually put on the air.
Thus, in the news program production broadcasting system 1, the audio video data D1A-D1N obtained by collecting materials can be edited to the desired condition and broadcasted at the predetermined time.
However, in the news program production broadcasting system 1 thus constructed, since said system 1 is comparatively large sized, each device is installed in the separate room, e.g., each editing device 4A-4N is installed in the editing room, and each reference/reading device 8A-8N is installed in the sub-adjustment room separately.
Therefore, in the case where the program production staff and people working in the related field in the room different from the sub-adjustment room, such as the program producer and the news draft producer desire to refer and read the edited video, they must go to the sub-adjustment room as necessitated in suspending their works and their working efficiency decreases tremendously. Accordingly, in recent years, in order to achieve higher efficiency the demand for increasing the number of reference and reading devices 8A-8N and by installing them in the plural number of rooms, the edited result of video can be confirmed from each room has been growing.
However, in this news program production broadcasting system 1, since the number of reference reading devices 7A-7N that can be connected to the second AV server 3 is determined by the transmission capacity of said second AV server 3, the number of reference reading devices 8A-8N could not be increased easily before.
Furthermore, as a conventional news program production broadcasting system, there is a device constructed as shown in FIG. 3. This device is different from the device shown in FIG. 1 on the point that an audio booth 11 is connected to the input means of the first AV server 2 and a telephone 12 and a tape recorder 13 are connected to the editing device 4N. In order to overlap voice such as narration over audio video data D1A-D1N audio data D11 will be obtained using a microphone of the audio booth 11 and this is stored in the AV server 2 as an audio file. This audio file is registered in the data memory device 6 and at the time when editing, it is read out by the editing device 4A-4N and combined with audio video data D1A-D1N.
Furthermore, speeches to be obtained such as by telephone interview, after being recorded once by the tape recorder 13 via the telephone 12, will be supplied into editing device 4A-4N as external audio input of the editing device 4A-4N and combined with audio video data D1A-D1N.
On the field of news production of the broadcasting station, the reporter prepares the narration draft to overlap to the audio video data D1A-D1N using the reporter terminal formed of personal computer. Accordingly, if speech narration by said narration draft can be entered with said draft input when entering draft into said reporter terminal, it is considered that the editing work can be conducted more easily.
The object of the present invention is to provide a signal processing device and a signal processing method capable of improving the efficiency of program production work.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a signal processing device capable of conducting the editing work in the case of combining the collected materials formed of video signal and/or audio signal with speeches more easily.
The present invention has been done considering the above points and is proposing a signal processing device having simple construction capable of using news materials immediately and realizing the common use of the file of news materials to be used in each program in common.
To obviate such problems according to the present invention, we provide the first memory means for memorizing input signals non-compressed or low-compressed, the second memory means for memorizing the input signal high-compressed, an editing execution order list forming means for forming the editing execution order list in which editing execution order is defined based on the high-compressed signal memorized in the second memory means, and an editing execution order list executing means for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal memorized in the first memory means based on the editing execution order list formed at the editing execution order list forming means and transmitting. With this arrangement a good many people can confirm the contents of video signals stored in the first and the second memory holding means and simultaneously, editing execution order list can be produced by many more staff, and thereby the signal processing device capable of improving the efficiency of program production works can be realized.
Furthermore, a signal processing method according to the present invention comprises the first step for memorizing the signal upon non-compressing or low-compressing the input signal, as well as high-compressing the input signal, the second step for forming the editing execution order list in which editing execution order is regulated based on the high-compressed signal, and the third step for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal based on the editing execution order list formed at the second step and outputting. Thus, according to the present invention, as well as a good many people can confirm the contents of the video signal, editing execution order list can be formed by many more staff, and thus, a signal processing method capable of improving the efficiency of the program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing device according to the present invention comprises the first memory means for non-compressing or low-compressing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time and for memorizing, the second memory means for memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time upon high compressing, the editing execution order list forming means capable of forming the editing execution order list in which the editing execution order is defined based on the high compressed signal memorized in the second memory means, and an editing execution order list executing means for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal memorized in the first memory means and for outputting it. Thus, according to the present invention, as well as video signals to be entered at high speed can be captured, the contents of video signals stored in the first and the second memory means can be confirmed by many more staff, and thus, the editing execution order list can be formed by more personnel. Thereby, the signal processing device capable of improving the efficiency of program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing method according to the present invention comprises the first step for memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time upon high compressing as well as memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time upon non-compressing or low-compressing, the second step for forming the editing execution order list to define the editing execution order based on the high-compressed signal, and the third step for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal memorized based on the editing execution order list formed at the second step and for transmitting this. Thus, according to the present invention, the video signal to be entered at high speed can be captured and a good many people can confirm the contents of the video signal memorized and the editing execution order list can be formed by many more personnel. And thus, the signal processing method capable of improving the efficiency of the program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing device according to the present invention comprises the first memory means for memorizing the input signal upon non-compressing or low-compressing said signal, the second memory means for memorizing the input signal upon high compressing said signal, the list forming means for forming a list in which editing execution order is regulated based on the high-compressed signal memorized in the second memory means, the image display means for displaying images based on the high compressed signal memorized in the second memory means, and the editing means for editing non-compressed or low-compressed signal memorized in the first memory means based on the list formed by the list forming means; and the editing means supplies the edited signal to the second memory means, the second memory means memorizes the edited signal supplied from the editing means, and the image display means displays the image based on the edited signal memorized in the second memory means. Thus, the number of image display means which can be connected to the second memory means can be greatly increased, and placing the image display means in the plural number of rooms in which program production will be conducted respectively, and the staff associated with the program production in that room can confirm the edited result of news video to be broadcasted actually before it is put on the air in his own room, and thus, the signal processing device capable of improving the efficiency of the program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing method according to the present invention comprises a memory step for memorizing the input signal high compressed as well as memorizing the signal to be input upon non-compressing or low-compressing it, a list forming step for forming a list to regulate the edit execution order base on the high-compressed signal, an editing step for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal based on the list formed at the list forming step, and an image display step for displaying image contained in said signal as well as memorizing the signal edited at the editing step. And thus, according to the present invention, the plural number of staff associated with the program production can confirm the edited result of the news video to be actually broadcasted in his own room before it is put on air, and thereby the signal processing method capable of improving the efficiency in the program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing device according to the present invention comprises the first memory means for memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time upon non-compressing or low-compressing said input signal, the input buffer means for expanding the signal entered at higher speed than the real time to the real time, the second memory means for memorizing the signal upon high-compressing the signal expanded by the input buffer means, the editing execution order list forming means for forming the editing execution order list to define the editing execution order based on the high-compressed signal memorized by the second memory means, and the editing execution order list executing means for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal and transmitting said signal. And thus, according to the present invention, as well as high speed video signal can be captured, a large number of people can confirm the contents of video signal memorized in the first and the second memory means. And thus, the editing execution order list can be formed by a great many people and the editing execution order list can be produced by many more personnel. Thereby, the signal processing device capable of improving the efficiency of the program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, the signal processing method according to the present invention comprises the first step for memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than the real time upon non-compressing or low-compressing, and simultaneously memorizing the signal entered at higher speed than real time upon expanding to the real time and high-compressing it, the second step for forming the editing execution order list to define the editing execution order is defined based on the high-compressed signal, and the third step for editing the non-compressed or low-compressed signal memorized based on the editing execution order list formed at the second step. Thus, as well as high speed video signal can be captured, a great many people can confirm the contents of the video signals memorized based on the high-compressed video signal memorized and the editing execution order list can be produced by many more personnel than before. Thus, the signal processing method capable of improving the efficiency of program production work can be realized.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the signal processing device for reading out the signal containing video signal and/or audio signal from the memory means in which the signal containing video signal and/or audio signal are stored as recording materials and editing, a terminal equipment connected to the control means of the signal processing device via the network and the combining means for combing the audio signal collected at the terminal equipment to video signal and/or audio signal as the editing material for the signal containing video signal and/or audio signal are provided. Thus, according to the present invention, since the audio file recorded on the terminal equipment to be connected via the network is combined with video signal and/or audio signal and is synchronized with the video system, the audio file recorded on the terminal can be used as the broadcasting material.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the signal processing device for conducting the desired editing processing upon reading out the signal memorized in the memory means, the list forming means for forming the list on which the editing content is defined, the editing execution means for executing the editing processing upon reading out the desired signal from the memory means based on the list allocated, and the control means for managing the execution schedule of the editing processing and for assigning the formed list to the editing execution device are provided. With this arrangement, according to the present invention, the editing processing can be executed without involvement of the operator as the conventional device and the automatic editing without the operator can be executed. Accordingly, the signal processing device capable of conducting the editing work more efficiently can be realized.